The New Power Generation is a band assembled by Prince in late 1990 in order to back him up during his live appearances.

After disbanding The Revolution, Prince had been using a live backing band on tours from 1987 to 1990 that did not have a name as such. Following the 1990 Nude Tour, Prince first started referring to his band as "The New Power Generation", a term first used in the song No.

During the early nineties the band evolved from a backing band to an entity of its own, for which Prince composed material and produced a number of albums, like he had done for The Time previously. Members were encouraged to actively participate in the music creation process, for Prince's album as well as "The New Power Generation (shortened to The NPG) albums projects and other Prince's productions for protégés or related artists.

In 1996, Prince disbanded "The NPG" and all its members were taken off the retainer. He then began to form a new band, keeping only the "NPG" moniker. Although not being as prominent as in the former "NPG" concept, the band members kept an influential role during studio sessions and live performances. The third "NPG" album, Newpower Soul, reflected these changes: Prince was now openly a member of the band, and its lead singer.

The 00's

The first half of the new millennium saw "The NPG" line-up evolve almost every year. The band released two singles in 2001, but after that no other studio project stamped "The NPG" surfaced. Meanwhile Prince kept giving each member space to express their own skills on stage .

After disbanding "The NPG" once more, following the Musicology Tour, Prince assembled a new band in order to back up his new protégée, Támar Davis. When he went back to touring as a main act, Prince retained the Támar band musicians to form his own backing band. Nevertheless the autonomy and part of creativity that Prince allowed "The NPG" in the nineties were less prominent: The band seemed to have been delegated to serve merely as a backing band for live shows.

The 10's

The numerous changes in the band over the last few years reflect Prince's needs on stage, more than what the band would need as members when they would be their own entity. In contrast with earlier line ups, Prince does not exclusively work in studio with its members.

In spite of "The NPG"'s many changes throughout the years, and the fact that today's line-up has little in common with the initial "NPG", Prince has kept the name of "The New Power Generation / The NPG" to define his band.

In addition, "The NPG" seems to have become a wider concept to Prince than just a band, sometimes also including the concert audiences.

After Miko Weaver leaves Prince's band (immediately following the Nude Tour), Levi Seacer, Jr. switches from bass to guitar. Sonny Thomson, soon renamed Sonny T. is enlisted as bass player. His first public performance with The NPG is in early October, 1990, backing up Tevin Campbell for his TV appearance at the Arsenio Hall Show. While rehearsals with the partially new band take place in December 1990, Tommy Elm soon re-named Tommy Barbarella is enlisted to replace Dr. Fink. In early September 1991 the name New Power Generation is first attributed to the new band line up.

Band members additions

Lori Elle (Werner) (as 'Diamond') and Robia LaMorte ( as 'Pearl') are recruited as dancers for the Diamonds And Pearls Tour only. A DJ, William "Diamond J." Graves, is also with the band only for the tour. Also enrolled as a dancer on the Diamonds And Pearls Tour is Mayte Garcia. Following the 1992 Diamonds And Pearls Tour, when dancers Lori Elle (Werner) & Robia LaMorte leave, Mayté stays on as a dancer, also due to her developing romantic involvement with Prince. She will perform with The NPG until late 1995, and occasionally afterwards.

Rosie Gaines leaves the band in late 1992, and is replaced by Morris Hayes whom, even when he hasn't been in the line up constantly, would become the longest serving member of the band, and eventually became its leader until he quit in September 2012. Tony Mosley, Kirk Johnson and Damon Dickson, collectively known as The Game Boyz have a prominent role in the pre-NPG live band. They are retained for the Diamonds And Pearls and Act I Tours, but are absent from the Act II Tour backing band, although they do perform with some of the support act sets The NPG did in Europe in August, 1993 on the Act II Tour.

After Levi Seacer, Jr. leaves the band to become staff producer for Paisley Park Records and finally President of NPG Records, Prince does not hire a new guitar player, instead taking over guitar duties himself. He reduces The NPG to a five-piece band (including himself), retaining only Mayté Garcia for dance and background vocals duties.

Marva King joins the band in early August 1997, after having made a few guest appearances at Prince and The NPG one-off concerts in July 1997. Kat Dyson is enrolled from June until late February 1998. A second guitar player, Mike Scott is hired from December 1996 onwards, and after Kat Dyson leaves, replaces her until late December 1999.

Starting in April 2001, a vocal quartet, Milenia featuring sisters: Mikele White, Malikah White, Niyoki White and Tia White is added to the line-up. They remain in the band until the end of the Hit N Run Tour.

Maceo Parker starts guesting with the NPG from mid April 2001, before becoming a band regular in 2002.

In October 2003, Rose Ann Dimalanta a.k.a rad. first appears with the band. She remains in the line-up until early March 2004, after which she resigns in order to pursue a career outside the Prince camp. Chance Howard is also hired from October 2003 and stays with the band for the next tour. Candy Dulfer joins the World Tour 2003 mid December 2003 in Hawaii and remains in the line up for the Musicology Tour

The "new NPG" constantly evolves during 2009 and 2010 as the horns section addition to the band is let go, and the background vocals section is gradually reinforced.

Band members additions

The "new NPG" continues to evolve during 2009 and 2010 as the horns section is replaced by harmonica player Frédéric Yonnet who first appears with Prince in January 2009. Prince also decides to reinforce the backing vocals and thus enlists Liv Warfield (in January 2009) and former protégée Elisa Fiorillo, now by the name of Elisa Dease (in late March, 2009) to support Shelby J..

Cassandra O'Neal is recruited to replace Renato Neto and first appears with the NPG in October 2009. While no longer being a full time NPG-member, Renato Neto appears on keyboards with the NPG for selected shows in the summer of 2010.

At the NPG Festival in Copenhagen on 6 and 7 August, 2011 Marva King replaces Liv Warfield, who was repatriated to the USA for medical reasons at the end of July 2011. Warfield was absent during the remainder of the tour. During Spring 2012, Prince with The NPG (minus Andy Allo) augmented with The Twinz (and newcomer Damaris Lewis) for dance duties embarks on the Welcome 2 Australia Tour.

After a four-month break, Prince re-enlists former NPG member Mike Scott on guitar for the "Welcome 2 Chicago" residency. Newcomer Andrew Gouche occasionally replaces Ida Nielsen on bass (in this case Ida Nielsen plays guitar), while Hannah Ford plays with The NPG for the first time as occasional drummer. Prince also uses the opportunity of the "Welcome 2 Chicago" residency to unveil a new 11-piece horn section.

In October, 2012 Ledisi, who previously performed with The NPG a few times in 2009, replaced Shelby J. for a few performances, she was unavailable to attend.

After the Welcome 2 Chicago residency, in late 2012, Morris Hayes is let go; Mike Scott is hired by Justin Timberlake and subsequently leaves the band; Andy Allo pursues her solo career.

In January 2013, Prince recruits Ronald Bruner Jr. as new NPG drummer for three shows at Dakota Jazz Club, Minnepolis, MN, USA. Damaris Lewis and Joshua Welton appear occasionally as dancers (Welton also sometimes plays percussions). Rhani Krija is invited to join the band as guest in December 2013 for the 3 shows at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, USA.

Contributions

Studio

With Prince

Although The NPG band members have contributed to more than the following releases, they were cited as being part of a limited number of albums and singles.

After 1992, even though Prince would work with The NPG (full band or shortened) as studio musicians, he would not usually let the name of his band appear as prominently as before on the covers of his albums. The album C-Note cut live with The NPG was not credited as such, the same goes for some of the promo releases surrounding the One Nite Alone... Live! album.

As The NPG

Throughout their existence the band releases three albums (mostly composed by Prince) two of which are released commercially.

Unlike former productions, Prince not only records the music with the band but also shares credits. The three albums are all of different incarnations of the band; Gold Nigga from 1993 features the 'original' NPG line up (after Rosie Gaines is replaced by Morris Hayes, whereas the follow up Exodus is the condensed version, minus the Game Boys and Levi Seacer, Jr..

Although a fourth NPG album, Peace was previewed by the single of the same name, and on which The Daisy Chain was also proposed to part of, it was never released.

Live

The NPG in its different line-ups is Prince's live backing band since 1990. The band contributed to establish Prince's stage reputation as it backed Prince up during all his tours since the Nude Tour. The NPG sans Prince also performed occasionally as support band for his shows. In 2007, The NPG also often performed as the main act at The IndigO2 'after shows'.